News

Memorial Day Tribute

Garfield Heights Memorial Day tributes honoring our deceased veterans of all wars and conflicts will be held on Monday, May 27, 2019. There will be a parade, a service at the Veterans Plaza at the Garfield Heights Civic Center and refreshments following.The parade assembly will begin at 9:15 a.m. at Maple Leaf School, on Turney Road. The parade will step off at 10:00 a.m. and travel along Turney Road to the Garfield Heights Civic Center where a Memorial Day service will be held.If you wish to participate, make a monetary donation, or have any questions, contact Jennifer Newrones at 216-624-8802 or newronesjennifer@sbcglobal.net; or Jason Blake at 216-338-7883 or jake5585@yahoo.com.

Memorial Day Parade

The 2019 Garfield Heights Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshal is United States Air Force Master Sergeant (retired) William Armstrong. Master Sergeant Armstrong served 22 years active duty in the Air Force and 12 years as a civil servant.

Master Sergeant Armstrong began his military career as a Russian linguist and accrued more than 1,000 hours as a crew member on Air Force reconnaissance aircraft. He also was a First Sergeant for a communications group, space and missile warning squadron and an Air Force medical school.

His awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

Master Sergeant Armstong has been a member of the American Legion since 2001 and is currently the Adjutant for Garfield Heights American Legion Post 304.

Garfield Heights Mayor Vic Collova proclaimed April 5th to be known as Sam Sylk’s Chicken and Fish Day throughout the city in honor of the grand opening of the Rockside Road location of the local restaurant chain. Sam Sylk’s Chicken and Fish was established by radio personality Sam Sylk and his wife, Zenobia. The couple said their mission is to serve and provide homestyle cooking and hospitality to customers. The restaurant is located inside the Garfield Commons shopping plaza next to Pet Supplies Plus. There are three other Sylks locations in Shaker Heights, South Euclid and Euclid. Pictured from left are Mayor Collova, Zenobia and Sam Sylk.

Garfield Heights is now home to Terrasana Cannabis Co., a state-licensed medical marijuana dispensary. Terrasana founder, chief medical officer and head of research Dr. William Kedia and city officials participated in a ribbon cutting at the business on Thursday, March 28, inside the Infinity Building, 10500 Antenucci Boulevard. Terrasana, which translates to Good Earth, also owns dispensaries in Franklin and Sandusky counties, Ohio.

Dr. William Kedia, founder of Terrasana Cannabis Co.,
answers questions about the newly opened medical
marijuana dispensary located in Garfield Heights.

Mayor Vic Collova said the dispensary must follow state guidelines regarding the selling of medical marijuana. Patients must have a prescription from a doctor, and medical marijuana licensed issued by the state of Ohio. The Garfield Heights office has an armed security guard on duty during operating hours. There are security cameras throughout the entire space.

“We are happy that Dr. Kedia chose to open Terrasana in Garfield Heights,” said Mayor Collova. “The medical marijuana option is important to people who experience chronic pain, and now patients came come to our city to pick up their prescriptions.”

Dr. Kedia said his company is proud to provide communities, neighbors, families and friends access to carefully curated cannabis. “We understand our patients and the challenges they’re facing, and we are excited to open our doors to serve Ohio’s medical community the way it deserves.”

The Garfield Heights Civic Center administrative office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. The information line is 216-475-6607. Callers can listen to a recorded message and will be prompted to contact the appropriate city department for assistance.

Garfield Heights Family Resource Center

The Garfield Heights Family Resource Center, located at the Civic Center, 5407 Turney Road, offers referral information about drug treatment, counseling, support groups, and assistance to families and individuals in need. Confidential messages can be left at the Garfield Heights Help-Line, 216-475-1103. Anyone needing help is encouraged to schedule an appointment, but drop-in visits to the Family Resource Center are also welcome.

Garfield Heights Food Pantry and Produce Giveaway

The Garfield Heights Food Pantry is open for residents only twice monthly, and there is a monthly produce distribution at the Civic Center, 5407 Turney Road. Pre-registration is required for all food distribution programs. The daytime food pantry is open from 1-2 p.m., the third Wednesday of each month. The evening food pantry is open from 6-7 p.m., the third Thursday of each month. The monthly produce giveaway is from 1-2 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month. For additional information, call the Senior Center at 216-475-3244.

Property Survey Indicates Properties are in Good Condition

The cities of Euclid, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights, South Euclid, and Warrensville Heights participated in a Cleveland Foundation funded property survey and developed an updated snapshot of the condition of properties. All five inner ring suburbs endured high rates of mortgage foreclosures, having had between 29 and 41 percent of their housing stock in foreclosure at some point since the housing crisis began nearly a decade ago, it seems. Sally Martin, Housing Director for the City of South Euclid noted, "By teaming up with other municipalities facing similar issues of vacancy and abandonment and collecting property data, we will better be able to make strategic and cost-effective decisions to support each of our communities."

The survey, conducted by the nonprofit Western Reserve Land Conservancy, was completed in 2017. Matt White, director of GIS and information services for the Land Conservancy, said surveyors worked in teams of two and gather information while on sidewalks and public rights-of-way. Information about each parcel, including whether it is vacant, the condition of any structures on it and a photo, was recorded. Leveraging the survey results and the existing data resource of Northeast Ohio Community and Neighborhood Data for Organizing (NEOCANDO), Dynamo Metrics created a web-based property intervention decision support tool for these communities.

"Our previous property survey work in places like Akron, Cleveland, Dayton, Lorain and Sandusky has proved the importance of having this valuable information," emphasized Jim Rokakis, Land Conservancy vice president and director of its Thriving Communities program. "City officials and community development officers are able to use survey results to make data-driven decisions to prioritize rehabilitation and demolition of structures with available funds."

According to the survey, 98 percent of the housing inventory is rated excellent or good condition in all five municipalities. Most severely blighted properties have largely been addressed. There are few blighted, abandoned structures awaiting demolition. Mortgage foreclosures and sheriff sales have declined dramatically and the number of vacant structures has decreased. Median home sale prices are on the increase, although they have not regained peak levels.

The Communities at the Crossroads Survey is available through the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and at Garfield Heights City Hall. For a copy of the report, contact Pat Salemi at 216-475-1100, Ext. 2425 or psalemi@garfieldhts.org.

About Western Reserve Land Conservancy: Western Reserve Land Conservancy provides the people of our region with essential natural assets through land conservation and restoration. The Land Conservancy preserves natural areas and working farms in 17 counties in northern and eastern Ohio; its urban program, Thriving Communities, works statewide to clean and green urban centers devastated by the foreclosure crisis. To date, the Land Conservancy has permanently preserved more than 670 properties totaling greater than 50,000 acres; worked with municipalities to create more than 140 public parks and preserves; led the efforts to create more than 40 county land banks across Ohio; and planted thousands of trees in the city of Cleveland.

Clothing Recycling Encouraged in Garfield Heights

Garfield Heights residents can recycle clothing, shoes and household textiles using a free curbside program. Garfield Heights officials are working to reduce the amount of recyclable material that ends up landfills. Clothing and shoes are 100 percent recyclable, yet 85 percent still ends up in landfills. Garfield Heights residents have the Simple Recycling program available to them to help change the statistics and improve the environment. This program is separate from the Kimble curbside collection, yet occurs the same day.

Once a resident determines that items are no longer useful, they can place them in a Simple Recycling bag, provided by the company at no cost, and put it on the curb the same day as their regular rubbish pick up. Bedding, belts and ties, hats and gloves, stuffed animals and more can be recycled.

Collected items are sorted and graded for condition. Top quality materials, approximately 20 percent of what residents no longer want, are sold to local thrift stores. The vast majority of clothing collected, about 80 percent, will not be resold in the United States, so it is further sorted for international export or broken down for raw materials. Only five percent ends up as waste. The other 95 percent is exported as secondhand clothing, converted to other materials such as cleaning rags for industrial and residential use, or recycled into fiber used in home insulation, carpet padding, etc.

Four letters: g-h-m-c hold an abundance of information about the workings of the Garfield Heights Municipal Court. That information is just a click away by logging onto the court’s website: www.ghmc.org.

The website has the latest information regarding both criminal and traffic cases. One can search the docket by name to see the status of cases to be heard in the Garfield Heights Municipal Court. The website also has information on which offenses require a court appearance and those that can be paid on line.

There is also information on how a person can file a small claims case. The Garfield Heights Municipal Court hears cases involving money damages up to $6.000 in value in Small Claims Court. Claims over $6,000 but less than $15,000 are heard in Civil Court.

The Garfield Heights Municipal Court also handles landlord and tenant disputes. The most common procedure involves evictions. The website also has information on Rent Depositing. This is when the rent is held by the court when a tenant believes the landlord is not fulfilling the obligations outlined in the rental agreement.

A person can also get the necessary documentation to get various court proceedings started. Printable forms are available on the website regarding Small Claims, Evictions and Driving Privileges..

If a wedding is in your future, a marriage ceremony can be performed at the Garfield Heights Municipal Court. The website has information on what needs to be done before the couple says “I do.”

The Garfield Heights Municipal Court is open from 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday, except on legal holidays. The court website: www.ghmc.org is always available.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health offers up to $8,000 to repair windows, doors and porches at homes located in target cities including Garfield Heights. The goal of the program is to prevent lead poisoning that can cause learning and behavior problems. For more information, call 216-201-2000. For additional details about the program click here.

Yearlong Paper Drive

Support the Garfield Heights Family Resource Center by recycling your paper products in the River Valley Paper Company bin at the Civic Center, 5407 Turney Road. The Resource Center helps at-risk families and youth and offers referral services. Items accepted include newspaper, mail, phonebooks, office/school paper, magazines, catalogs, paper bags, hard and soft bound books and cardboard. All proceeds generated from the yearlong paper drive will benefit the Resource Center. For information about the resource center, call Ruth Pollack, center manager, at 216-475-1103 or e-mail rpollack@garfieldhts.org. For information about recycling, call Pat Salemi at 216-475-1100, ext. 2425 or e-mail psalemi@garfieldhts.org.

Unique Gift Items and Cards for Sale

A variety of unique gift items and inexpensive greeting cards are available for purchase at the Garfield Heights Civic Center, 5407 Turney Road. Talented crafters meet daily to crochet scarves, hats, baby blankets and booties, etc, and also to create unique decorative and household items.

These items are sold for reasonable prices in the Craft Room store at the Civic Center. There are cards for 25 cents; gift bags and wrapping paper prices range from 25 cents to $1; and bows are 75 cents and $1.

Shoppers will be impressed with the selection of items inside the Craft Room store. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday-Thursday.

Information Notification System for Garfield Heights Residents

The city of Garfield Heights is partnering with Cuyahoga County to bring an information notification system to residents. ReadyNotify is a mass notification system that alerts residents to emergency situations, water boil alerts, utility outages and other important messages. Participation is voluntary.

To sign up, residents need a valid e-mail address or phone number. Messages will be delivered via cell phone, text messages, home or work phone numbers or FAX.

Residents can utilize the computers at the Garfield Heights Public Library where staff is available to assist with requesting email addresses and registering for the program.

To view the properties available through the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corp.’s Land Bank program, click here.

Latex Paint Disposal

Cuyahoga County Solid Waste Management District campaign reminds residents to dispose of latex paint curbside with their regular trash. For details about disposal, click here.

Unused and expired prescription drugs can be disposed of safely at the Garfield Heights Police Station

This county-wide Prescription Drug Drop Box program is helping keep prescription drugs out of landfills and water sources. The drop box is located in the lobby of the police station and is accessible 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

“Anyone can drop off any unneeded or outdated prescription medication, no questions asked,” said Police Chief Robert Byrne. Needles, liquids or other medical waste is not accepted. Cuyahoga County purchased the boxes for any police department that requested one. The Cuyahoga County Sheriffs department helps collect and weigh the drugs and is responsible for record keeping of what is being disposed.